Spellbound Children's Bookshop Thrives in Unique Arrangement

Photo by Alisha Silver Photography

Just a year ago, Spellbound Children's Bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, was in danger of closing. The economic downturn had taken its toll, and owner Leslie Hawkins was faced with the need to do something drastic in order to survive. "I needed the seemingly impossible," she explained, "a location with significantly higher foot traffic that wouldn't cost significantly more." Serendipity, and a little help from her friends, led Hawkins to a prime downtown location and a shared arrangement with a local photography studio. Now, a year after Spellbound's move to Asheville's historic Wall Street, Hawkins is busy planning a month-long celebration to mark the bookstore's fifth anniversary and enjoying the healthy stream of local customers and tourists, which the new location has brought.

Kids are spellbound at a Father's Day workshop.

"I have no doubt the move saved my business," said the Western North Carolina native, who acknowledged that she had some help finding the right fit: Two members of her book club who were also friends with Alisha Silver, the owner of the photography studio, suggested the arrangement. Hawkins and Silver were also fortunate to find a landlord who was willing to work with them to find a creative solution.

Spellbound Children's Bookshop and Alisha Silver Photography each have a storefront display window on either side of a shared front entry. "[Alisha's] sales counter is near her window, mine is near mine," explained Hawkins, "and we try to leave it as open and integrated as possible. She does have a studio space in the back separated by a partition wall displaying her photos." And, though people occasionally are confused for a moment when they walk in and find the two businesses, Hawkins said, "Almost everyone says, when it clicks, 'Oh -- what a great idea!'"

Spellbound's inventory caters to babies through teens, with a strong concentration on pre-K to middle grades. The store also offers some parenting books, and Hawkins has found a lot of adults are buying teen crossover titles, like The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins, Scholastic). Sidelines include stationery (bookmarks, bookplates, journals, diaries, etc.); kid and "family" music; a line of jewelry handmade by a local artist called "Storybook Charms"; plush toys based on book characters; and educational toys and games.

The store's month-long anniversary celebration includes weekly drawings for fall releases, author and book character visits, contests, a musical performance, a Halloween story time, and a day-long birthday party with free cupcakes. Spellbound will also offer a progressive sale: each week in October customers will save an additional five percent, culminating in a storewide sale of 25 percent off during the last week of the month.